Pho 78/Pembroke Pines

Whenever I want a mouth-watering expedition any time of the day, I drop by here for a bowl of pho.

That's pronounced "fuh," the beloved breakfast soup of Vietnam, though this is no ordinary breakfast, nor an ordinary soup.

The Vietnamese consider the preparation of the broth an art form - an artistic blend of herbs, spices, beef and/or chicken bones simmered together for hours to give it an intense bouquet and rich flavor.

Each has its own fine nuances, with easily recognizable distinctions.

Just inhaling the aromatic broth with whispers of onion, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, onions and shallots from Paul Bunyon-size bowls will probably turn you into a card-carrying pho-natic like me.

Pho 78 (an ownership and name change from Pho 79 occurred about 11/2 years ago), offers utilitarian decor with limited creature comforts and fast service. About the only thing you need to worry about is which pho it will be. With 25 varieties, it's the primary menu item.

All good pho has broth that's clear, never muddy. It's ladled into your choice of bowls - big, bigger and biggest - starting at $5.75 for the big, to $7.95 for the biggest.

The alluring broth offers assorted meats, chicken or seafood in stock surrounded by diced scallions on a foundation of vermicelli rice noodles.

Or, have it "all the way" and let them throw in the proverbial kitchen sink. That means anything from spongy Vietnamese meatballs to tripe, beef tendons, thinly sliced brisket, eye round and flank steak.

The meat is often served raw so it can finish cooking in the broth, but here, it's medium rare. There's also children's pho ($4.75) with brisket and meatballs but no scallions or cilantro.

Accompanying the pho is a long white paper bag cradling a deep Asian soup spoon, a fork and chopsticks along with a plate of goodies to punch up your potage.

Throw on a few bean sprouts, some fragrant Asian basil, a little cilantro, some jalapeno slices, a wedge of lime to give an edge to the broth's sweetness, and you're off and running.

But not before you glug on some wickedly hot Asian chili paste guaranteed to bring beads of sweat to your forehead, a squirt of hoisin, or a puddle of fiery sriracha.

There are other ways to pick an entree and one of them is with a pair of grilled lemon-grass pork chops. The charred chops are bony (what can you expect for $8.75?), but the meaty parts are flavorful, smoky from the grill and not overcooked.

They're coupled with a tiny bowl of plain beef pho broth, steamed white rice, cucumber and carrot slices and sweet-sour sauce to dip your chops in or pour over the rice.

Be sure to explore the last two pages of the menu for the long list of liquid refreshments.

There's boba (bubble teas), smoothies, blended beverages including soursop and durian, as well as odd-sounding creations such as soda salty lemonade.

We especially liked the milk tea boba, $3.99, with chailike flavors.

Desserts described as "puddings" at $3.25 are actually drinks.

The red bean pudding is a refreshingly cool blend of firm red beans, ice and splashes of coconut cream.

Please call to confirm hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, fax a current menu that includes the name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.